Closed captioning of: Can exercise, supplements aid Alzheimer’s fight?
>>>
this case.
>>>
there is important news
tonight
about
alzheimer
's. the seventh leading
cause of death
in this
country
, according to the
alzheimer
's association. finding a way to prevent the disease would be medicine's so-called
holy grail
. which is why today's news from the
national institutes of health
was so disappointing to so many people. our report on it
tonight
from our chief science correspondent
robert bazell
.
>>
daddy going to take you to school?
>>
reporter: jennifer
beall
is 38 years old. she saw two grandparents die of
alzheimer
's. then her father's memory began to fail as the disease struck him.
>>
my dad was diagnosed at 68. i have a 9-month-old and a 4-year-old. i hope i'm around to remember them.
>>
reporter: to try to ward off dementia,
beall
exercises a lot, eats a heart
healthy diet
and takes several supplements. but will it do any good? the experts convened by the nih said it can't hurt and may help. but the panel emphasized the
scientific evidence
is not strong enough to make any recommendations.
alzheimer
's experts are disappointed.
>>
however, we feel very positive about the future if we can certainly motivate the political arena, certainly motivate the public about the outcry that we really need in order to tackle this disease.
>>
reporter: the panel said while the evidence is not conclusive, there are suggestions that exercise and a diet rich in vegetables and fish can help. the behaviors that are well known to improve heart health seem to strengthen brain health. the experts say there is almost no evidence that supplements like
ginko biloba
or vitamins b, c, or e reduce the risk of
alzheimer
's, neither do
crossword puzzles
or other mental exercises. 5.3 million
americans
currently have the dd. already a heartbreaking ordeal for families like jennifer
beall
. the
numbers
are expected to rise rapidly as more people live longer.
robert bazell
,
nbc
news, new
york
.
>>>
and just ahead here
tonight
,
“ ”